Applicator stick container



J. W. THOMSEN APPLICATOR STICK CONTAINER Feb. 6, 1951 Filed Nov. 18, 194e Patented Feb. 6, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an applicator stick container, and more particularly to a container having a pivotal outer casing member and means for locking said member in open position.

Applicator sticks, as for example lipstick and other cosmetics, are in exceedingly common use, and due to the character of the materials used it is necessary that such items, be carried in a container in order that they do not soil the pocket or purse of the person by whom they are carried. In the past many attempts have been made to devise a satisfactory container for such applicator sticks, but all of the containers on the market are subject to certain undesirable features. For example, many of the common lipstick containers in use today comprise a cylindrical member which houses the lipstick or other applicator stick, and a slidably removable cover which encompasses the lipstick containing member. When it is desired to use the lipstick it is necessary to remove the cover and to hold it separate from the lipstick container proper during application of the lipstick. Thus the cover member is likely to become misplaced and in any event renders the application of the lipstick more cumbersome than is desirable.

Many attempts have been made to devise a onepiece container for such applicator sticks. However in the past all such devices known to applicant have been of impractical construction and lack design possibilities. For example many of such containers include a pivotal outer casing, but have no means for locking the casing in open position, with the result that the pivotal movement of the outer casing makes it diilicult to apply the lipstick or other material. In, containers of this type the design possibilities are a very important practical feature, and I am herewith disclosing and claiming an applicator stick container having a pivotal outer casing memberV thereby doing away with the separate two piece construction, having means for locking said member in open position so that the pivotal. action ofl the outer casing does not encumber the application of the lipstick or other material, having an arrangement such, that the outer casing member cannot'be swung to closed position unless the lipstick and its mounting member have rst been retracted to a suitable position such that the end of the lipstick cannot be mashed, and having a pleasing appearance, while the simple and practical construction allows for desirable design changes.

Other features and advantagesof my'improved applicator stick container will appear from thev 2 following specication and from the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container embodying my inventions, with hidden parts shown in dotted lines to better illustrate the novel` construction, and showing the pivotal outer casing in closed position in full lines and in partly open position in dotted lines; Figure 2 is a front elevation of the container shown in Figure 1 with the parts in closed position, Figure 3 is a vertical section through the container shown in Figure l, taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the container shown in Figure l with the outer casing member in fully open position, but with the lipstick not exposed; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the apparatus as shown in Figure 4 with the lipstick partially exposed; Fig ure 6 is a vertical section through the apparatus as shown in Figure 5 taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5; Figure '7 is a horizontal section taken on the line 'l-l of Figure 3; and Figure Si is a fragmentary side elevation of the apparatus as shown in Figure 5 with the outer casing removed.

While my improved container is shown in the drawings and will be hereinafter described as a lipstick container, it will be obvious that it is adapted to be used as a container for other applicator sticks as well. Referring now to the drawings an inner cup-shaped member i@ is adapted to hold an applicator stick, as for example the lipstick H. The member il? is here shown as being of circular cross section, but obviously it may be of any desired cross section to accommodate the applicator stick used. An outer member indicated generally at l2 is pivotally joined to said inner member, such joinder being effected by means of the pivot pin IIiy which is shown as extending outwardly from opposite sides of the cup--shapedmember I@ near the base thereof in the embodiment of my invention illustrated herewith, The member I2 is in the form of an inverted U and comprises a closed top IZa and side members 12b and I2C, said outer member i2 being open at the bottom and at two opposite sides. Each of the side members l2b and I2C has a longitudinally extending inwardly facing channel, as the channels I2d and Vie, and the pivot pin I3 is journaled through holes in these channels in each of said side members near the bottom thereof.

An intermediate member i4 having a closed bottom, side portions, and an open top encloses the member IQ and the lipstick. The side portions of the intermediate member have oppositely disposed slots, as the slot I5, which are adapted to slidably receive tl e pivot pin I3, said slots extending longitudinally from the top of said member to a point adjacent the base thereof in the embodiment of the invention illustrated so that the mem-ber l is slidable Within the member I4, thus allowing the lipstick to be enclosed Within said member as shown in Figures 1 through 4, or to be exposed as shown in Figures and 6.

Extending from the sides of the intermediate member lil adjacent the base of the respective slots are the outwardly extending trunnions i6 and il, said trunnions being adapted to slide in the respective channels i2d and 12e. The trunnions I6 and il are here shown as being crescent shaped and as partially surrounding the base portion of each of the slots, although it will be readily understood that the trunnions may be formed in some other manner if desired.

As shown in full lines in Figure l and in Figures 2 and when the lipstick container is in closed position, the intermediate member i4 encloses the cup-shaped lipstick holder i0 and the lipstick il, and said intermediate member is encased in the inverted U-shaped outer member l2. The outer member is pivotal with respect to the inner and intermediate members, and is shown in dotted lines in Figure i in partially open position. Figure 4 shows the outer member i2 in fully open position, that is, pivoted 180 from the positions o1" 1Figures 2 and 3. In this pivoting action the outer member l2 pivots around the pivot pin i3, which is here shown as attached to the inner member iQ, and also around the trunnions i6 and Il.

In order to expose the lipstick for use after pivoting the outer member i2 180 from its closed position, the intermediate member is slid downward (in the drawings), the pivot pin i3 sliding in the slots, and the trunnions i5 and Il sliding in the respective channels I2d and l2e. This position of the apparatus is illustrated in Figures 5 and 6, and it will be seen that the intermediate member and the inner member no longer pivot about the same point with respect to the outer member. Consequently the outer member I2 is locked at the position shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 so long as the intermediate member is slid down so that the trunnions it and lil are no longer adjacent the pivot pin i3. In this position the trunnions i and il contact the walls of the respective channels 92d, and 32e to lock the members against pivotal movement, thereby providing a lipstick container which may be easily grasped and manipulated to apply the lipstick.

When it is desired to close the container it is merely necessary` to slide the intermediate member up to the position shown in Figure 4, and in this position the outer member is pivotal about the same point with respect to the intermediate and inner members, for the trunnions are adjacent the pivot pin, and the outer member may be pivoted to the closed position of Figures l, 2 and 3.

'It often happens that in sliding the intermediate member i4 with respect to the inner member lil and the lipstick i l, the intermediate member isl grasped in such a way as to squeeze together the sides 0f the slots. In the event this happens the pivot pin l 3 will no longer be freely slidable within said slots, but will bind against the Walls or said slots and cause the device to jam. In order to prevent this I provide means for maintaining said slots at a minimum predetermined width, this means comprising oppositely disposed projections extending transversely into said slots from the sides of the intermediate member adjacent the top thereof. This means is very clearly shown in Figure 4 as the projections 20 and 2i, each such projection extending into the slot to substantially the mid-point thereof, such projections thereby serving to maintain the slots at a minimum predetermined width despite the fact that pressure may be put on said intermediate member in such a manner as would other- Wise tend to constrict the slots.

While a like result could also be obtained by terminating the slots short of the top of the intermediate member, I have found that the projections 2!! and 2l accomplish the same result in an emcient manner while at the same time leaving an opening through which the pivot pin i3 may be entered in assembling the apparatus.

While I have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A lipstick container of the character described, including: an inner member adapted to hold said lipstick; an outer member pivotally joined to said inner member, one of said members having pivoting means extending from opposite sides thereof, and said outer member having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; and an intermediate member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and inner member, and slidable with respect thereto, said intermediate member havingvoppositely disposed longitudinal slots adapted to slidably receive said pivoting means, and outwardly extending trunnions on opposite sides near one end of said slots, said trunnions being slidable in said channels and the engagement of said trunnions with said channels allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is near one end of its range of slidable movement.

2. A lipstick container of the character described, including: an inner member adapted to hold said lipstick; an inverted U-shaped outer member having an open base, a top and oppositely disposed side members which are pivotally joined to said inner member at points adjacent said base, said side members having longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; and an intermediate member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and inner member, and slidable with respect thereto, said intermediate inember being adapted to be received between said side members and having outwardly extending trunnions on opposite sides thereof, said trunnicns being slidable in said channels and allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is near one end of its range of slidable movement with said lipstick entirely enclosed therein.

3. A lipstick container of the character described, including: a first member adapted to hold said applicator stick, said member having pivoting means extending from opposite sides thereof; an inverted U-shaped outer member having an open base, a. top and oppositely disposed side members which are pivotally joined to said inner member at points adjacent said base, said side members having longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; and an intermediate member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and inner member, and slidable with respect thereto, said intermediate member being adapted to be received between said side members and having oppositely disposed longitudinal slots adapted to slidably receive said pivoting means, and outwardly extending trunnions on opposite sides near one end of said slots, said trunnions being slidable in said channels and allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is near one end of its range of slidable movement.

4. A lipstick container of the character described, including: an inner member adapted to hold said lipstick; an outer member pivotally joined to said inner member, one of said members having pivoting means extending from opposite sides thereof, and said outer member having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; and an intermediatev member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and inner member, said intermediate memiber having a base, side portions, and an open top, said side portions having oppositely disposed slots adapted to slidably receive said pivoting means and extending longitudinally from a point near the top to a point adjacent the base of said intermediate member, and outwardly extending trunnions adjacent the base of said slots, said trunnions being slidable in said channels and allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is so positioned that said trunnions are adjacent said pivoting means.

5. A lipstick container of the character described, including: a first member vadapted to hold said applicator stick, said member having pivoting means extending from opposite sides thereof; an inverted U-shaped outer member having an open base, a top and oppositely disposed side members which are pivotally joined to said inner member at points adjacent said base, said side members having longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; and an intermediate member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and inner member, said intermediate member having a base, side portions, and an open top, said side portions having oppositely disposed slots adapted to slidably receive said pivoting means and extending longitudinally from a point near the top to a point adjacent the base of said intermediate member, and outwardly extending trunnions adjacent the base of said slots, said trunnions being slidable in said channels and allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is so positioned that said trunnions are adjacent said pivoting means.

6. A lipstick container of the character described, including: an inner member adapted to hold said lipstick, said member havinga pivot pin extending from opposite sides near the base thereof; an inverted U-shaped outer member having a base, a top and oppositely disposed side members which are pivotally joined to said inner member at points adjacent said base, said side member having longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; an intermediate member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and said inner member and being adapted to be received between said side members, said intermediate member having a base, side portions, and an open top, said side portions having oppositely disposed slots adapted to slidably receive said pivot pin and extending longitudinally from a point near the top to a point adjacent the base of said intermediate member, and outwardly extending crescent shaped trunnions adjacent the base of said slots, said trunnions :being slidable in said channels and allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is so positioned that said trunnions are adjacent said pivoting means.

7. A lipstick container of the character described, including: an inner member adapted to hold said lipstick; an outer member pivotally joined to said inner member, one of said members having pivoting means extendingy from opposite sides thereof and said outer member having oppositely disposed longitudinally extending inwardly facing channels; an intermediate member enclosing at least a portion of said lipstick and inner member, and slidable with respect thereto, said intermediate member having a base, side portions, and an open top, said side vportions having oppositely disposed slots adapted to slidaoly receive said pivoting means and extending longitudinally from the top to a point adjacent the .base of said intermediate member, and said intermediate member having outwardly extending trunnions on opposite sides near one end of said slots, said trunnions being slidable in said channels, the engagement of said trunnions and channels allowing said outer member to pivot only when said intermediate member is near one end of its range of slidable movement; and oppositely disposed projections extending transversely into said slots from the sides of said intermediate mmeber adjacent the top thereof substantially to the mid-point in the Width of said slots for maintaining said slots at a minimum predetermined width.

JACK WARREN THOMSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in theI le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTSy 

